Four Weddings and a Sixpence

by Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke

Beloved authors Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Stefanie Sloane deliver the stories of four friends from Madame Rochambeaux’s Gentle School for Girls who find an old sixpence in their bedchamber and decide that it will be the lucky coin for each of their weddings…

“Something Old”
Julia Quinn’s prologue introduces her heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for Four Weddings and a Sixpence.

“Something New”
In Stefanie Sloane’s unforgettable story, an ever-vigilant guardian decrees that Anne Brabourne must marry by her twenty-first birthday. But love finds her in the most unexpected of ways.

“Something Borrowed”
Elizabeth Boyle tells the tale of Cordelia Padley, who has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Now she’ll need to borrow one to convince them she’s found her true love.

“Something Blue”
In Laura Lee Guhrke’s story, unlucky Lady Elinor Daventry has her sixpence stolen from her and must convince the rake who pilfered the coin to return it in time for her own wedding.

“... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe”
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, who never believed that the sixpence was anything but a tarnished old coin—until it led all of her friends to true love. But her faith in the coin is tested when it keeps sending her to the wrong man!

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Anthologies, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction

384 pages, ebook

First published December 27, 2016

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: my review is biased because I LOVE ANTHOLOGIES. I love them. I know most readers love a full-length novel, but I must say that when there is an anthology that comes out with a clever concept and good writing...well, I just get tingly.

I had the pleasure of reading this with Andrea and Lacey, which made the reading experience even more enjoyable so take my following review with a grain of salt.

This anthology is four stories told in chronological order about 4 friends that find a sixpence while they are at school and then hang onto it and share it as a good luck talisman as they each find love, even when they don't expect it.

Something Old: Julia Quinn did the Prologue and it was perfectly done. I knew the characters, I knew the concept, and I was hooked. This really sucked me in and made each of the stories that much better because the foundation was a good one.

Something New: Interestingly, this was a new author for me. Stephanie Sloane had a pretty fast-paced, friends-to-lovers tale and I really enjoyed it. It was mellow and uncomplicated and the characters were likeable. It was just fun. The only downfall of this novel came from the off-the-wall (literally) sex scene that was thrown in at the end. I'd rather of had more pages of them talking than that completely unrealistic scene. Aside from that, a really fun read and an author I will now try again. 4.5 stars.

Something Borrowed: I don't often like Elizabeth Boyle's full-length novels, but I have enjoyed her novellas when I read them. This one was no different. While I believe the heroine, who was a scatter-brained, unrealistic dreamer, would have annoyed me in a full-length book, I didn't mind her much here. The true draw of this story was the hero. YUM. I really liked him a lot. Kipp was stodgy, stoic, overly proper...and wildly sensual underneath it all. The plot of this story didn't really make sense, but I didn't care because I loved the hero and flew through pages as I waited for all the starch to wear off so he would finally snap. I wasn't disappointed. While Lacey and Andrea didn't like the sex scene...I did. I thought it was crazy and stupid for them to do, but I felt like it worked because the hero had finally reached his limit. I don't know how to explain it, but this worked. The heroine was silly and unremarkable, but the hero, Kipp, made it all worth it :)
4 stars.

Something Blue: This story by Laura Lee Guhrke was my least favorite of the group. It is a second chance at love story with a bit of intrigue thrown in that all just fell flat for me because I didn't believe the couple really loved each other. The entire premise of this story is about the couple who were wildly in love and prepared to marry until the hero decides to take on a case to thoroughly ruin the heroine's father (and thus her entire family). While Guhrke clearly outlined and explained the situation and I understood it, it only made me question how two people could ever have a marriage where the husband is overzealous in his need to bring the wife's father to the House of Lords to be tried and most likely, hanged. He never tried to see the situation from her point of view, and even in the final chapter, he criticized her for not wholly betraying her father and said he was only marrying her now because he'd compromised her (how romantic...ick). They just didn't work for me. Now, I have heard from Caz, who listened to it on audio that this was her favorite so maybe the audio makes this work. Food for thought :) My rating: 1.5 stars

...and a sixpence in her shoe: Julia Quinn rounds out the quartet and much to my disappointment, hers was also the shortest. The romance moves at breakneck speed and seems a bit implausible, but her writing is so charming and light that I didn't care. I liked the two characters and was happy when they found each other. I definitely could have read about them in a full-length novel. My one concern was that JQ's writing seemed a bit different to me. She was still great, as usual, but I felt that the writing was a bit scatterbrained. Not so much that it detracted from the story but enough that if she ventures too much more in that direction, I won't like the style anymore because it will be choppy in its effort to be "cute" if that makes sense (this also happened to me with Eloisa James and with early Megan Frampton books). Anyway, this was still super enjoyable and had me going "awww" at the end. It was a nice way to end the quartet. 5 stars.

Overall, this was super enjoyable. I gave it a 5 star rating because I know I will be revisiting it to read my favorite parts and I thought the concept was clever and well-executed. If you love anthologies and novellas with cute romances, you can't go wrong with this one.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2017

I've given this an A- for narration and the following grades for content: Sloane - C-; Boyle - C; Guhrke - B+; Quinn - B at AudioGals.

I’m not a big fan of anthologies or novellas in general, because I find there are few authors who really understand how to use the shorter form to greatest effect, and I most often come away from them feeling a bit disappointed. And anthologies tend to be uneven; there will usually be one really good story and the others will be of lesser, variable quality. So why did I listen to this one? A look at the narrator’s name will answer that question. Mary Jane Wells can make even average material enjoyable to listen to, and while two of the stories here do fall into the average category, the other two – from Julia Quinn and Laura Lee Guhrke – definitely transcend that qualification. Each story in Four Weddings and a Sixpence features one of a group of four friends who, while at school, find an old sixpence in a mattress and, based on the words of the old rhyme:

Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue… and a silver sixpence for your shoe

– decide to keep the sixpence on the chance that it may lead them to true love.

Something New by Stefanie Sloane – C-

This is the weakest tale of the four, and tells the story of Miss Anne Brabourne, who needs to marry by the time she is twenty-one or be packed off to the country by her uncle. (The reason for this is never explained). Her birthday is just weeks away, and there are no suitors on the horizon who meet her exacting requirements for a husband. Having watched the ups and downs of her parents’ tempestuous love match, Anne doesn’t want to marry for love, and she doesn’t intend to cede her independence, so she wants a man who will do as he’s told and leave her to get on with her life on her own terms. Escaping from yet another crowded ballroom one night, she finds herself in a darkened library and pouring out her woes to the dog stretched out on the rug by the fire. Naturally, she doesn’t see the dog’s gorgeous owner sitting in the shadows straight away, but after her initial shock at being overheard, Anne finds herself unburdening herself to him about her predicament. Rhys Hamilton, the Duke of Dorset, is immediately attracted to the lovely young woman and wonders about her strange requirements for marriage – and at their next meeting, offers to help her to find a suitable husband.

Of course it’s obvious where this is going. Their courtship – because that’s what it is, even if neither of them sees it as one – is charming and the more time they spend together, the more Rhys comes to realise that he doesn’t want anyone to marry Anne but himself. I did like the fact that he’s the first to confess the truth of his feelings, but the ending is rather contrived and there’s a completely out of the blue and unnecessary sex scene at the end that caused me to lower my grade quite considerably. Firstly, something happens which causes Anne to go rushing off to Rhys’ house – and not only is she sent off on her own, without a chaperone, it’s her chaperone who sends her there, which was too great a strain on my credulity. Once she’s there, declarations are made, intentions declared – and suddenly they’re shagging up against the wall of Rhys’ study. It seems to have become de riguer to include sex scenes in novellas these days, but so many of the ones I’ve read seem to have been just tacked on for the sake of it. And I can honestly say that even though this one is not at all explicit, it’s so inappropriate and jarring that I actually felt uncomfortable listening to it and really wish it had been omitted.

Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle – C

The next recipient of the sixpence is Cordelia Padley, who has recently returned to England from India, where she lived with her father since leaving school until his recent death. Her financial situation is not good, her father having lost a lot of money in unwise investments and speculations, and Cordelia knows she needs to marry – but she doesn’t want to rush into it, so to put off the machinations of her matchmaking aunts, she invents a fiancé in order to give herself some breathing space. But her lie looks likely to backfire when she realises that she will be expected to bring her betrothed to Anne’s wedding, so she reaches out to her oldest friend and neighbour, Christopher Talcott, the Earl of Thornton and asks if he will pose as her fiancé for the duration of their stay at Hamilton Hall, where the wedding is to take place.

Cordelia and Christopher – or Kipp, as he is known – were inseparable during childhood, always getting into mischief together and planning all the adventures they would have and the places they would see when they were older. They haven’t seen each other since Cordelia left school and went to live in India, and Kipp’s situation has changed greatly in that time – as the second son, he never expected to inherit, but his older brother died and left him as heir to a very impoverished title. Now he is the Earl and needs to marry money if he is to rebuild his estate and the family finances. When Cordelia appears, he is on the verge of proposing to the daughter of a wealthy Cit – but he can’t refuse to help his oldest friend, and decides his responsibilities can wait for a few days. A week at most. Or maybe two.

It’s clear that the strong feelings Cordelia and Kipp had for each other years ago have never really disappeared, and their romance is sweet – if slightly dull. There are some nicely poignant moments in the story, however, such as when Kipp tells Cordelia of his love for his home and her realisation that she’s never really had one, and I liked that the couple decided they were better together and prepared to work hard to restore the estate, even though money would be tight. But the author then proceeded to wave a magic wand over that and fix it, which rather spoiled the ending for me.

Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke – B+

After two rather average stories, we come to Something Blue, which is easily the best of the set and my personal favourite. Lady Elinor Daventry is next to receive the lucky sixpence and she’s going to need it, given she is planning to marry a man she doesn’t love in order to prevent her beloved father being wrongly accused of treason. Six months earlier, her relationship with Lawrence Blackthorne ended acrimoniously when he uncovered evidence that Lord Daventry had been profiteering during the war and was given the task of building the case against him by the Home Office.

During the wedding celebrations of his friend, the Earl of Thornton, Lawrence overhears Elinor and her friends talking about the sixpence and Elinor’s plans to marry Viscount Bluestone whose father, the Duke of Wilchelsey is on the Home Office committee, and whom she believes will be able to prevent her father being prosecuted. Shortly after this, Lawrence confronts Elinor and manages to steal the sixpence – and with it, it would seem, all of Elinor’s luck, too.

It’s obvious that Elinor and Lawrence are still head-over-heels in love, but Elinor adores her father and refuses to hear a word against him – and Lawrence is determined to expose him as a traitor whose armaments company provided shoddy goods to the army which led to hundreds or thousands of avoidable deaths. It seems that the breach between them is unbridgeable.

I really enjoyed this side of the story, as it adds depth and a real sense of there being more at stake than whether our protagonists will find true love. The author very skilfully shows how Elinor slowly begins to doubt her convictions and her father, even though she is outwardly steadfast and determined to thwart Lawrence however she can. And his reactions to her are those of an honourable but caring man who is torn between the woman he loves and doing what he knows to be right. Both characters are fully-rounded, the chemistry between them is terrific and Lawrence is a gorgeous hero – my favourite of the set.

… and a Sixpence in her Shoe by Julia Quinn – B

Our final heroine is Beatrice Heywood, and while she is pleased that her three friends have found love, her logical, scientific mind is sceptical about the Power of the Sixpence. But she accepts her turn nonetheless, even though walking about with it in her shoe is not at all comfortable!

Bea lives with her two elderly aunts near Oxford and is walking in town one day when she inadvertently bumps into someone on the street. The gentleman is handsome, with eyes the colour of the sky – or rather, eye, as she then notices he wears an eyepatch over his right eye. He steadies her, rudely tells her to watch where she’s going in future and walks off.

Lord Frederick Grey-Osbourne was unnerved by the look on the young woman’s face when she noticed his eye patch; it is something he has become accustomed to seeing since the carriage accident that disfigured him and he hates it. He reaches his destination – the local stationery shop – and is making his purchases when the woman who just ran into him enters the shop and asks to buy a notebook. The pair starts talking and realise that they are both interested in the sciences, something Frederick is surprised to discover about a woman, but which he likes very much. Both Bea and Frederick feel a pull of attraction towards each other, which Frederick particularly welcomes as he hasn’t felt anything like it since his accident. They meet again the next day while Bea is out shopping, and again when Frederick calls on her at home, and the author does a terrific job of showing Frederick’s crusty, protective exterior gradually crumbling beneath Bea’s enthusiasm, her genuine affection and different way of looking at things.

The final scene, in which he takes her to visit the Radcliffe Observatory at the university (somewhere Bea could never have gained admittance to on her own) is a beautifully romantic gesture and provides a fitting end to this romance between two like-minded, lovely people.

Mary Jane Wells does sterling work in each story, differentiating well between all the characters and adding an appropriate degree of emotion and humour to both narrative and dialogue. I was pleased to note that the four heroines all sound different and are portrayed consistently throughout; by which I mean, she doesn’t ‘reset’ to a standard Heroine Voice for each story. The same is true of the heroes, with her performance of Lawrence being my favourite – he’s the sexiest of the bunch and she picks up on that, making him sound appropriately attractive and dynamic. Her pacing is spot-on and the fact that she performs the ‘stage directions’ in a story – if someone is said to laugh, then she laughs, or if they emit a heavy sigh, then she sighs – helps to add up to the sort of naturalistic performance I’ve come to expect from her.

It’s also true that she’s one of those narrators who can elevate average material to something that holds the listener’s interest, and that’s certainly true of the first two novellas in this anthology, which I may well have skipped had I been reading rather than listening. I did notice the odd mispronunciation here and there, but otherwise, this is another very strong performance from Ms. Wells, and if you’re in the mood for a something you can listen to in short chunks, Four Weddings and a Sixpence is worth your consideration.

[Joanna Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cute anthology. The stories were sweet, and the narration from Mary Jane Wells was superb. I truly enjoyed listening to this.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars

I enjoyed the overall book but some stories I liked better. So this is how I would break them down:

Something New by Stephanie Sloane.....2 stars

Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle.....5 stars

Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke......4.5 stars

And.....A Sixpence in Her Shoe by Julia Quinn.....4 stars

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with Becca and Lacey! As always, it was great fun - thanks you guys!

I loved the premise of this book: Four girls find an old coin and decide it will be their lucky charm based on an old and familiar rhyme that all the stories were built around:

Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
And a Sixpence in her Shoe

Something old, the prologue by Julia Quinn was a nice set-up for the series. It introduced the characters and their backgrounds before the girls' individual stories start.

Something New by Stephanie Sloane:
I really loved this story. Anne and Rhys were an adorable couple and their chemistry was off the charts. I really liked their connection and characters, but then out of nowhere, they just went at it up against a wall and it totally ruined things for me. 4 stars

Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle:
Meh. I didn't care for this one and it left no impression on me besides the fact that here too, the characters just HAVE to have sex. It didn't work for me. 1 star

Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke:
My least favorite story of the bunch. I didn't buy the connection between the main characters and we all agreed that this story probably would've worked better as a full-length novel. 1 star

... And a Sixpence in her Shoe by Julia Quinn:
Perfection! The hero and heroine were just adorable. I only wish I could've spend more time with them. 5 stars

Overall, I didn't like this anthology as much as The Lady Most Willing... and The Lady Most Likely..., but it was still fun.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Smexybooks-http://smexybooks.com/2017/01/review-...

Four well know historical romance authors have come together in a spirited anthology about four young women who meet as girls at Madame Rochambeaux’s Gentle School for Girls and become fast friends despite their differences in social, class, and economic status. When they find a mysterious sixpence hidden in a mattress, the girls decide it will be their lucky charm towards making the perfect marriage. Now years later, these young women each take a chance on the coin and their happiness.

Something Old by Julia Quinn sets up the premise for Four Weddings and a Sixpence and introduces readers to her heroine, Beatrice Heyward.

Stefanie Sloane’s Something New finds Anne Brabourne in a dilemma. She must marry by her 21st birthday or she will find herself packed away to the countryside permanently. Unwillingly to repeat her parent’s turbulent marriage, Anne wants to find a biddable husband who will allow her the freedom and peace she desires. A chance meeting with the delectable and marriage avoiding Duke of Dorset proves their undoing but can he convince himself and her that marriage isn’t the end but the beginning?

Humor, mayhem, and some meddlesome relatives offers readers a unique and fun courtship between two marriage-shy individuals.

Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle introduces us to Cordelia Padley whose little white lie about having a fiance has come to haunt her and now she must find a real one toute de suite. A childhood promise has her asking an old friend for a favor. Pretend to be her fiance for a week and then they will part ways. When these two reunite they discover that more than just promises connect them but will an Earl in need of funds choose duty or heart?

A sweet reconnection romance blooms between two friends as they attempt to deceive their loved ones. The mild angst blends well with dry humor and strong chemistry.

Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke pits Lady Elinor Daventry against a former flame when he steals her sixpence. Elinor needs her lucky charm in order to marry an influential man who can save her father from the man who stole her heart. But the sixpence has other plans for Elinor as she soon discovers that in order to hate someone, you still have to be in love with them.

More serious and emotionally based on the four, I enjoyed watching the dilemma between love and duty unfold and play out

Julia Quinn’s… and a Sixpence in Her Shoe ends the anthology with Beatrice Heyward. Beatrice, an orphan raised by a pair of spinster aunts, doesn’t believe the sixpence is lucky at all but decides to play along to keep her friends happy. An enthusiastic student of the sciences, Beatrice finds her own happily ever after with a wounded Marquis who’s own scientific studies make them the perfect match.

This is my favorite of the four. A chance meeting, a misunderstanding, and two enthusiastic aunts help these quiet scholars find love among the stars. A lovely and very touching story that looks beyond the physical to the heart of the matter.

An enjoyable anthology that showcases the strong bonds of friendship and the power of belief. Though each author is different, these four voices blend together perfectly as each one captures the essence of their charge(s) and their somewhat rocky road to true love. I liked the premise behind a shared “good luck” charm that is passed around. Reminded me a little of the Sisterhood of Traveling Pants series.

Grade: B

[Megzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars for the first three stories. Was it really necessary to finger the girl the first time they ever kissed? Who does that? I understand they were novella but I found the sex scenes in the first three story pretty tasteless and unnecessary!
4 star for the last one by Julia Quinn.

[SmartBitches · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Four Weddings and a Sixpence is super comforting. It’s a collection of four novellas, all Regency romances, all remarkably angst-free. Five minutes after reading each story I had already forgotten all about it, but I remembered my enjoyment while reading it.

The novellas are held together by a framing story written by Julia Quinn. In 1817, four girls who are attending Madame Rochambeaux’s Gentle School for Girls find a sixpence in the mattress. The girls (Bea, Cordelia, Ellie, and Anne) decide to keep it for good luck when they recall the rhyme “Something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new, and a sixpence in her shoe.” This sixpence, they decide, will bring each of them a husband. Since Anne has to marry before she turns twenty-one, she gets to use it first, with the stipulation that if she does get married, she will pass the sixpence to Cordelia who will pass it on to Ellie who will pass it on to the intensely skeptical Bea.

All in all, I give this collection a B- with the caveat that your enjoyment of it will depend on your mood and your catnip. Because the stories are all short, they don’t get much time for things to develop. The plots are all somewhat implausible and the stories lack the kind of emotional weight that make then stick in the mind.

However, the stories are also sweet, funny, and heartfelt. Their very shortness and lightness make them perfect for a stressful time (like, oh say, the end of December, when I personally tend to lose my mind in a pile of discarded wrapping paper). Also, the friendship between the women is delightful. I would happily have read a book about the girls going to boarding school, without the adult romances.

- Carrie S.

[Leena Aluru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

It's OK. Short sweet stories based around the old rhyme
Something Old,
Something New,
Something borrowed,
Something Blue and a 6 pence in your shoe.

Every one of the 4 stories is connected by the silver six pence these 4 friends find at school. My favourite 2 happen to be Something Borrowed and a six pence in your shoe. The rest are pretty mediocre.

Recommended : meh( great for reading challenges)

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four young girls, roommates at a boarding school, find an old sixpence in a mattress and decide it would be their lucky charm in finding suitable husbands when the time came...

Something New by Stephanie Sloane (❀❀❀)
Miss Anne Brabourne needs to find a husband and quickly, before she’s banished into the country. She also has a list of requirements and that list doesn’t include either love or passion thanks to the destruction, caused by heightened emotions, she’d witnessed as a child. Anne also gains a strange ally in her husband-seeking quest; Rhys Alexander Hamilton, Duke of Dorset. He’s determined to help her, but he has his own reasons.

This was a cute story. Maybe a tad too short, since both characterization and the plot itself suffered a bit—everything happened rather quickly, feeling a bit rushed. But I liked both main protagonists and especially their matchmaking aunts.


Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle (❀❀❀❀)
Miss Cordelia Padley has invented a fake betrothed to curb her aunt’s enthusiasm of thrusting vicars upon her. But now she’s invited to her friend’s wedding and she’s supposed to bring her man along. The only one she could turn to is the famous Captain Kipp Talcott, her childhood friend. But as she pays him a visit, she discovers Kipp isn’t her Kipp anymore, but Winston Christopher Talcott, the Earl of Thornton. Still, she asks him to pretend to be her betrothed and he agrees, even though he was about to really get betrothed himself.

A sweet story of long-lost childhood friends finding each other again, trying to navigate between old and new dreams and real adult responsibilities, but in the end only one thing prevails—the heart.
I liked the contrast between the slightly flighty heroine and the stuffy hero, they provided a nice balance, complimenting each other rather splendidly. The story moved well, and though the love-story might appear rushed, the fact they were childhood friends compensated for the lack of space and time dedicated to the deeper development of their romance.


Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke (❀❀)
Lady Elinor Daventry is determined to save her father no matter the cost. Even marrying a man she doesn’t love. Anything is preferable to her father standing trial for things he didn’t commit. That’s why, six months before, she broke off her engagement to Lawrence Blackthorne, the man who believes all the nasty rumors about her father, determined to ruin him.
Ellie knows the sixpence is her ticket to marriage to the son of the duke, who might sway the peers to believe her father, but Lawrence Blackthorne has other ideas…And steals the coin.

This would’ve been a lovely second-chances story if it weren’t for the heroine and her determination to believe her father no matter what. Even when she had proof, she was still stubbornly in denial. I didn’t like how she treated the hero when he was doing his duty, the man that gave her up in order to seek justice for thousands of men.
I felt she wasn’t really worthy of everything Lawrence did to get her back, and somehow I didn’t really believe her feelings in the end, either.


...and a Sixpence in Her Shoe by Julia Quinn (❀❀❀❀)
Miss Beatrice Mary Heywood is the most pragmatic of the four friends. And the only reason she’s wearing the sixpence in her shoe is to keep her promise to her friends that she’d do so. And then she meets Lord Frederick Grey-Osbourne and all her dreams suddenly come true.

Short, but sweet.

Granted, the romance seemed a bit rushed, but we’re talking about a short story after all. I liked both protagonists, especially Bea, who looked beyond appearances and her enthusiasm was rather contagious. Frederick was a bit bland, at least compared to Bea, and I absolutely adored aunt Calpurnia in all her matchmaking glory.

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come.

[*CJ* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie, Bea, and Cordelia and Anne meet at Madame Rochambeaux’s finishing school in their early youth.
Each from different family, different class and different circumstances.
When they find a sixpence stuck at the bottom of their bed, they decide to try out the superstition that it helps you find your perfect husband.

Each of their stories is by the authors in the anthology.

After a prologue by Julia Quinn, we start the book.

Something New by Stefanie Sloane; Anne and Rhys

“I promise I won’t kill myself before we have children.”
Anne is 21 and needs to marry to please her uncle. After many unsuccessful seasons in the ballroom,on one night, she escapes to a library and meets Rhys, the marriage avoiding Duke of Dorset.
I really really loved the sweet courtship between the coupl- and adored the meddling relatives. Had humor and charm and I'd love to read more by the author.

Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle; Cordelia and Winston/Kipp

While Cordelia is travelling the world, she is being pressured to get engaged. To get her relatives off her back, she lies that she is..to her childhood friend Kipp; who is now the Earl of Thornton.
Such a sweet story of old friends falling back in love and rediscovering their dreams. So much yearning, some mild angst.
I had adored it until the point Kipp left to apologize. Pfft. Good story overall.

Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke; Lawrence and Ellie

Bittersweet love story of ex-bethroted couple who have a fallout when Lawrence discovers evidence what incriminates Ellie's dad and their lifelong courtship ends. When Ellie sets her sight on someone else, Lawrence decides to intervene.
Loved the dilemma between love vs duty/responsibilities. The book had mild angst and a good ending.

. . . and a Sixpence in Her Shoe by Julia Quinn; Bea and Frederick

Beautifully tender love story between a Marquess, who's partial blindness plunges his perspectives into darkness until the astronomy enthusiast Bea pulls him out. Really lovely moments between the two.

Overall, I dont know which book was my most favorite..but I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. Four friends, four weddings, and a lucky sixpence.

Safe read
4.75/5

[AmyNor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something New: Stefanie Sloane
Something Borrowed: Elizabeth Boyle
Something Blue: Laura Lee Guhrke
Sixpence ... : Julia Quinn

I'm not a huge fan of collections like this, but I'll read anything with Julia Quinn's name on it. Boyle's story was decent, I didn't like Guhrke's heroine's decision making process in the end (though her writing was good too). All the characters were decent.

Funny trivia - all these authors live in Seattle :)

And I couldn't get past the first story mostly because I think someone flubbed the age by which the heroine in Ms Sloane's story was supposed to be married by. Shouldn't someone have caught such a glaring note - considering it was mentioned SO many times in Something New? :s

[Becky Lower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this series of novellas was as charming as Julia Quinn is in person. It reminded me of Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants--Regency style. And parts of it hit the mark, especially the stories penned by Quinn and by a new-to-me author, Laura Lee Guhrke. But the whole book needed another read-through by a sharp-eyed editor to clear up the age discrepancies and the repetitiveness, where the same words appeared within two lines of each other. It could have been excellent instead of good. I read an ARC, which has been in existence since last July and thought there was plenty of time to make the necessary changes, but a conversation with a friend who just picked up a copy revealed that none of the changes were incorporated into the final version. Pity.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute read. While I have read the other ladies' work before and have always enjoyed them (and this anthology was no exception), this was my first time reading anything by Stefanie Sloane. I was glad I was given the opportunity to sample her work because Ms. Sloane's story was very good. The entire anthology was most enjoyable.

[cc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia Quinn, YAASS \0/

[Sheila Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in your shoe."

This is an anthology of four stories about four friends from Madame Rochambeaux's Gentle School for Girls and the sixpence coin which brings each of them a husband.

SOMETHING OLD by Julia Quinn:  This is the prologue to the stories and introduces the four heroines: Miss Beatrice Heywood, Miss Cordelia Padley, Lady Elinor Daventry and Miss Anne Barbourne.  The four find a old coin which they agree to use to find their husband and if it works, they will pass it along to the next girl.  For a prologue, this one managed to pack a lot of information into a few pages.  It definitely made me want to know more about these girls.  Rating: 5 stars.

SOMETHING NEW by Stefanie Sloane: Miss Anne Brabourne has an uncle as a guardian who has declared that she must marry by her twenty-first birthday. Anne, however, doesn't really want to marry but if she does she certainly doesn't want to marry for love.  Her parents tempestuous relationship has soured her on the idea of passion and love. Rhys Alexander Hamilton, Duke of Dorset is a man determined not to marry until he has no choice meets Anne and is charmed by her.  He doesn't fit Anne's ideal husband (he will never be easily controlled) but he proposes that he help her find a husband.

This was a sweet little story. I liked the characters and I liked their situation. Both Anne and Rhys have reasons to not recognize that they are falling in love and yet their connection pulls them together throughout the story.  I found this story charming.  The only thing that didn't fit was the obligatory sex scene which I thought did not actually fit with these characters.  Rating: 4 stars.

SOMETHING BORROWED by Elizabeth Boyle:  Miss Cordelia Padley grew up rich but at her father's death she learned that he was squandered his entire fortune. She has another, more pressing problem. She has three aunts who are determined to find her a husband, so Cordelia has made up a betrothed to stop their efforts.  Now that one of her dearest friends is marrying, Cordelia has to produce that betrothed or admit her deception.  She goes looking for a temporary fiance to produce and then have him jilt her.  Winston Christopher Talcott, Earl of Thornton needs rich bride to save his failing estate.  Just when he is about to get engaged to an heiress, Cordelia comes back into Kipp's life and turns it upside down.

This was a wonderful story.  I loved the connection between Cordelia and Kipp. They had a sweet and childhood friends to lovers story. This was a story that was so good that I could have read a whole book about these two.  Cordelia finds her old friend and is dismayed that he never had the chance to fulfill his dreams. Kipp finds a vivacious woman who makes him believe in his dreams again even has his goals have changed. I loved the hope and joy these two bring to one another.  Yes, the resolution was predicable (I figured it out from the beginning), but the story was so good that I was willing to go along with the predicable solution.  Everything worked for me.  Rating: 4.5 stars.

SOMETHING BLUE by Laura Lee Guhrke: Lady Elinor Daventry is determined to marry the son of a duke to help save her father from the investigation by Lawrence Blackthorne who is determined to prove her father is a criminal.  Ellie and Lawrence were childhood friends who were in love and set to marry until he chose his duty and honor over their love and she chose her father over their love.  Lawrence steals the sixpence in order to prevent Ellie's marriage.

This was an enjoyable story because Ellie and Lawrence are such combative towards one another. The two have deep unresolved feelings even though they are on opposing sides regarding Ellie's father. There is some serious push and pull between them as they clearly love one another and yet neither can abandon their principles. The interactions between the two were funny and yet sad as it seems at times that these two will not be able to find a way to be together.  I like my books with some angst and drama and this one fulfills those requirements.  Rating: 4 stars.

...AND A SIXPENCE IN HER SHOE by Julia Quinn:  Miss Beatrice Mary Heywood plans never to marry but rather to care for her aunts who took her in when she was orphaned. She takes the coin only reluctantly, but she has the coin when she literally runs into Lord Frederick Grey-Osbourne on the street.  Frederick is sensitive to his looks because of an accident which left him with a scar and blinded in one eye, but he finds himself intrigued by the academic minded Bea who has a passion for astronomy.

Bea and Frederick are so cute together. This is another story that I could have read an entire book about. There is an awkwardness and a pure sweetness of these two being interested in one another. There are meddling aunts, sexy scientific talk, deep empathy and even some sexy moments.  There is a wonderful scene between them (I don't want to give it away) but it is all about trust and vulnerability between them.  I loved that scene.  This was my favorite story in the anthology and it struck the perfect ending note for me.  Rating: 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[Topastro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm usually not one for anthologies but this was so cute and Mary Jane Wells was the perfect narrator.
A sweet and easy listen.

[gabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ipshita · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Something New” - 4 stars

“Something Borrowed”- 2.5 stars

“Something Blue” - 3 stars

“... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe” - 3.5 stars

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always get so excited when a Julia Quinn book is coming out, I’ve yet to read a book by her which I haven’t at least liked a great deal. I was also excited about this anthology, with each author some I had read before, some of which were brand new to me all collaborating to bring us separate stories, all connected by two common threads: friendship and a lucky sixpence.

Like with most anthologies there are highs and lows, some authors style that suit me and some that I found it harder to get through. I wasn’t surprised that I really enjoyed Quinn’s novella …and a Sixpence in Her Shoe, it was delightful tale of an unconventional young woman finding just the right one eyed man for her. I devoured it.

I was surprised though that I didn’t like Laura Lee Guhrke’s offering more, I have read a few of her books in the past and have always enjoyed them. However, I really struggled to read Something Blue not because there was anything wrong with it, I confess I was just…bored by it. Sloane’s Something New and Elizabeth Boyle’s Something Borrowed although not my favourite in the anthology were both fun romantic tales that leave you feeling good and eager for the next story.

This anthology is a great read if you are looking to read some of the well known authors of Historical Romance that perhaps you haven’t had a chance to read before. Each story has its merits and you’re bound to find you fall in love with at least one of them. Perfect reading for in front of your tree this Christmas.

*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Suzanne

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[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Regency anthology Four Weddings and a Sixpence, readers have the distinct pleasure of perusing stories written by four different but equally talented authors. Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Stefanie Sloane and Laura Lee Guhrke did a great job putting their own spin on a tale of four best friends who discover a sixpence while at boarding school. A sixpence that the girls hope will have the magical ability to help them find true love, based on the well known rhyme that also serves as titles for each of their stories.

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Original Notes:

A delightful Regency anthology where all of the stories were connected by the main group of four friends and a "lucky" sixpence. I thought the writing flowed well from story to story, with none of the author's writing styles overshadowing any of the others. Of course I would love to have had more details about each couple and their situation, but even with these being novella length, it still worked well in my humble opinion. Full review to come.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this book, especially since I was reading it with Andrea and Becca :) so, whenever you're two are planning a buddy read, count me in!

I loved the plot. The idea of a lucky coin was very sweet.

I loved all of the novellas except for the third one which is Something Blue. I didn't like the hero and thought that he was rather cold and ill suited for the heroine.
My very favorite is the last one: A sixpence In Her Shoe by Julia Quinn. I'm just sad that it was too short.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first and the last novella from Stefanie Sloane and Julia Quinn were my favorites from this anthology - it's not Christmas teamed, despite the December release date, but revolves around 4 girls and their life long friendship, due to growing up together in a second rate school. It was a fun escape in between cooking, cleaning and generally handling the holidays. Recommend!

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointment. I usually enjoy the novels of Julia Quinn and Elizabeth Boyle, but this anthology of stories by 4 authors just didn’t work for me. The third story in particular, “Something Blue” was neither romantic nor fun. The Julia Quinn story was the best by far.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Review to come!

[The Bookshelf Wars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely

A wonderful little anthology that makes you want to read more of each author. My only regret is that each story was not longer.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely fixed my bad mood! 😊